03/SEP/12

Juan Fortea Ormaechea, winner of the 1st Neuron BioPharma Prize for the best doctoral thesis in Neurosciences

With the aim of contributing to knowledge transfer and stimulating research in the area of neurosciences within Spain, Neuron BioPharma has initiated the Neuron BioPharma Prize for the best doctoral thesis in this subject. The winner of the first award is Juan Fortea Ormaechea, Doctor of Medicine from the University of Barcelona, for his thesis entitled, “Multimodal studies of magnetic resonance imaging and of cerebrospinal fluid in preclinical sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s disease”. Dr. Javier S. Burgos, CSO of the Neuron BioPharma division and member of the adjudicatory panel, said that this thesis has been awarded the prize for its contribution to the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The thesis, undertaken by Dr. Fortea and his supervisors, Dr. Jose Luis Molinuevo Guix and Dr. David Bartrés Faz, focuses upon the behaviour of biomarkers during the preclinical phase of the disease, and particularly the effects that alterations in amyloid-beta metabolism have on brain structure and cognition, a subject which is the source of wide controversy in publications on the matter.

Dr. Burgos also highlighted the success of the call for the prize and thanked the more than 100 candidates working at a great number of public as well as private universities from all over Spain for their applications.

The cash award is one of € 3,000 and the award ceremony will take place on 20 September during the Biospain 2012 fair in Bilbao.